Queen Takes Pawn
by badculture
Summary: Set shortly after "The Beach". Zuko sees a familiar face in the Fire Nation Palace; one that couldn't possibly be there. Jetko. Rating is probably much higher than necessary.
1. Chapter 1

_(A/N): I feel that I should post a warning here. _

_This isn't like anything else I've done before. It's a love story; the first romance I've ever seriously tried my hand at. __It also happens to be a story about boys who like boys.  
_

_If the theme doesn't agree with your values, I can respect that. But please, if you choose to proceed: do take this for what it is. I'm here to write, not to spark a debate. _

**Queen takes Pawn**

Zuko and Azula had not spoken to each other since their trip to Ember Island.

It made the Prince of the Fire Nation nervous. If his sister was on her own, it meant that she had time to think. Azula was always thinking, of course, always prepared to strike at him verbally or physically should the opportunity arise. Still, when left to her own devices, without any interruptions, Azula had a tendency to come up with wretchedly creative ways of making her brother's life miserable.

To make matters worse, his sister's prolonged absence meant that _Zuko_ had time to think. This was never a good thing. Even with Mai, to provide him with distractions, Zuko found his thoughts turning inwards – a dangerous direction. After his rather sordid return to power, the young prince wasn't quite prepared to face himself.

"She's found a new toy," Mai told him one day, when he remarked upon Azula's disappearance. "It won't last long; she's already starting to get bored."

"A toy?" He had inquired.

"A boyfriend – if you can even call him that much. He's more like… a failed experiment. With benefits." Mai's tone had been disgusted, and she had not elaborated any further. Zuko had no desire to pursue the subject. If his sister had discovered the opposite sex, then Zuko intended to keep himself as ignorant of her activities as possible.

He didn't dwell on it until he saw his sister's new distraction for the first time. Zuko's path had happened to lead past Azula's chambers, and the princess had come crashing through the doors and into the corridor, dragging a rumpled-looking servant boy along behind her by the collar.

The boy's head was uncovered, his leaving his top-knot exposed. He was tall and muscular, much larger than Azula, and Zuko almost laughed at the comic sight of his baby sister hauling him down the corridor. And then recognition set in. Zuko's mouth fell open as he took in the sight of the boy's deeply tanned skin, the long, wide mouth, and the set of his eyebrows. The encounter left the prince frozen in place, staring after his sister and her hapless victim in dumb silence.

Later on, Zuko would swear that he hadn't seen Jet. It was impossible. Logic dictated that there was no way that the self-proclaimed freedom fighter could be in the Fire Nation, let alone inside the princess' private quarters. Not Jet, who had become completely crazed when he had come to suspect Zuko's identity. Not the warrior who had lunged past crowds of shocked civilians with his blades bare, screaming for Fire Nation blood.

And it was more than that. In the time that Zuko had known him, Jet had always been confident, commandeering – nothing like the boy in the corridor, who had met Zuko's gaze with wide, startled eyes, lips parted in confusion. The prince had seen no evidence of Jet's intellect, nor his single-minded intensity, in that boy's expression, nothing of Jet's brashness when the boy's eyes had zipped in another direction, as if embarrassed.

Over the next few days, Zuko had attempted to rationalize what he had seen, but no explanation seemed possible. The only thing vaguely plausible was that he might be undercover, plotting to assassinate the royal family. Zuko didn't think that Jet had that kind of self control.

It seemed much more likely that it was all a mistake, and for a while, he almost believed it.

It was much more difficult to convince himself that he was imagining things the second time Zuko saw him, in the inner gardens of the palace. He almost didn't notice him; this time, the boy's uniform was immaculate and his head, along with his ears and the back of his neck, were covered by a plain brown cap, like any other male attendant in a palace. He was huddled in the shade of a small tree, knees drawn up close to his chest, and he appeared to be moping.

Zuko was dumbfounded. Everything about this miserable servant-boy was the anti-thesis of Jet, but the face was unmistakable.

The prince knew what he should do: alert the guard, track down Azula and demand to know what she was doing with a peasant from the Earth Kingdom. He didn't. Instead he told himself that he needed to make sure that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him.

His heart hammered as he crossed the garden. He felt like his ribs were closing in tight around his lungs, and it took a conscious effort on his part to keep his breathing steady. He stopped just far enough away that he would have time to react if the other boy lashed out at him.

"Jet?"

The look that met Zuko's was utterly devoid of recognition.

The freedom fighter had always held Zuko's gaze too long, but this was different from their previous encounters. In the past Jet's eyes had been animated. Zuko could remember, with clarity that surprised even him, the way that Jet had always _blinked too much_. It was a strange detail to latch onto, but Zuko had always noticed because he would catch himself opening and closing his eyelids in synch with the other boy until he had to look somewhere else.

It was this habit that had caused Zuko to notice other little things about Jet – like the way he talked around the long stem of grass that always seemed to be in his mouth, removing it every so often to wet his lips. The unconscious gesture had once caused Zuko to feel uncomfortable, but now, seeing Jet's wide mouth set in a flat, unmoving line, he found Jet's stillness disturbing.

"I'm sorry," the boy's voice was instantly recognizable, "have we met?"

Zuko didn't know what he had been expecting, but that question wasn't it. Everybody in the palace knew who the prince was, regardless of whether or not they had actually met in person. With the enormous burn scar that covered his left eye, Zuko could hardly be described as a forgettable face. Dressed in full regalia, there was no way any one could have mistaken him.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko demanded, ignoring Jet's question.

"I was looking for Azula," Jet answered, clearly distressed, "but I can't find her."

"Why?" Scenarios raced through Zuko's mind, in which Azula and Jet were plotting against him, working together, each one more absurd than the last. There was no way that the freedom fighter would consider a partnership with Zuko's sister.

"I'm supposed to be with her," Jet told him, as if this explained everything.

Zuko decided not to continue with this line of questioning. Something about this whole interaction was terribly wrong. It was possible that Jet was being intentionally vague, but judging by the vacant expression on his face, the prince was beginning to wonder if the other boy had suffered some form of psychological trauma. The whole encounter seemed so surreal that he felt the need to confirm, again, that he was really talking to the freedom fighter he'd met in Ba Sing Se. The cap framed the other boy's face the wrong way, and it made Zuko feel like he was looking at someone wearing a mask.

"Take off your hat," Zuko found himself saying.

Jet hesitated, and Zuko kept his arms crossed in front of his chest. It was all he could do to resist the inexplicable urge to reach down and remove Jet's cap himself. He wanted to pull the other boy's hair free of the topknot that it was inevitably in and _fix_ it, so that it hung messy and loose around Jet's face, like it was supposed to.

"I'm _supposed_ to be with Azula," Jet said, averting his gaze. His voice was low, and heavy with unspoken meaning, but Zuko had no idea what he was getting at.

"Don't play games with me, Jet, just take off the hat."

Jet frowned. "That isn't my name," he said suddenly. "My name is –

"I don't care," Zuko told him curtly. He was tired of this, whatever it was they were doing. He had reached his limit. He needed to evacuate their discussion as soon as possible. "I'm calling you Jet."

"But, Azula –

"Always lies," Zuko told Jet firmly. "Keep that in mind."

"That's not true." Jet asserted.

Zuko snorted. "How would you know?"

"I've _always_ been with Azula," the other boy stated. "She isn't like that."

"Always?" Zuko repeated, incredulous. "Where were you last week, then?"

Jet blinked. "I was here, with Azula."

Zuko shook his head. "Last week Azula was on Ember Island, with me."

"You're lying."

Something of the freedom fighter's old vehemence resurfaced in his voice, and it held Zuko's attention. It was such a strange thing to get angry about. Hearing that tone of voice, he almost expected Jet to leap to his feet, but the boy stayed where he was, on the ground. Zuko crouched down so that he was level with the other boy.

"I've lied to you about a lot of things, but this isn't one of them. Azula was on vacation last week. So _where were you?" _

Zuko had never seen Jet show fear before. He could remember the manic grin the freedom fighter had worn when they were locked in combat with one another, the confidence with which he had goaded the prince to use his firebending. Even when the Dai Li had dragged him away, howling, he had been more furious than anything else. Now his expression was unguarded. He looked fragile; like a lost child.

For a brief moment, Zuko imagined closing the space between them, resting his forehead against the other boy's and then, tenderly, pressing their lips together. There were things that he couldn't put into words, sentiments that he hadn't known how to express until Mai had shown him the way that closeness could be used to communicate with another person. It was the first time he had ever wanted to share that simple comfort with anyone else, and it unsettled him.

He drew back, heart drumming in his chest.

"You're crazy," said Jet, as if he had heard his thoughts. "You don't know what you're talking about. I was with Azula."

"You really believe that, don't you?" Zuko realized. Jet had never come across as much of a liar, but he was much too clever to cling to such a pathetic cover story.

"I need to go," Jet clambered to his feet, so that their previous positions were reversed, and he was standing over Zuko. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but after a moment of indecision he finally moved away, walking quickly in the opposite direction that Zuko had come. He looked off balance without his swords at his waist.

The prince watched him go, knowing that it was too early to try to shake some sense into the other boy. There was too much that he didn't know.

It was time he had a serious discussion with Azula.


	2. Chapter 2

Queen Takes Pawn

**Queen Takes Pawn**

**II**

Jet was in the _Fire Nation_.

Jet was in the Fire Nation _palace_.

Jet was in the Fire Nation palace, _dating Azula._

These were, in essence, the only intelligible thoughts circulating within Zuko's mind as he marched across the palace grounds, hunting for his sister. Something sinister was afoot, and whatever it was, he intended to get to the bottom of it.

Despite his resolve, Zuko didn't find Azula in the palace, although after a considerable amount of charging around, looking for her, he had to admit to himself that it was probably a good thing that he hadn't. Confronting Azula would require a cool head, as well as a solid plan of action.

Since he had neither, Zuko decided to confer with his girlfriend, rather than continuing with his search. Mai was much more level headed than he would ever be, and she would certainly have a better idea of what was going on than he did.

Naturally enough, the moment Zuko decided not to look for Azula, he found her. She and Ty Lee had been on a visit to Mai's estate all along, and he discovered the three girls having tea together on his girlfriend's pavilion. Seeing the princess so apparently calm while he was in turmoil intensified the prince's frustration, and he snapped at her before anyone even had the chance to greet him.

"What are you doing with an Earth Kingdom peasant in the palace, Azula?"

The prince managed to check himself before blurting out Jet's name. There was a good chance that Azula already knew about Zuko's association with the freedom fighter, but the prince knew from experience that it was always best to play with his cards close to his chest as possible. Whenever he assumed that his sister knew everything he usually ended up revealing more than he should.

"You mean Sun Tzu?" his sister had the audacity to look slightly surprised at his outburst. "He's harmless."

"Sun Tzu?" Zuko repeated, appalled, "You gave him a family name?"

She shrugged. Her expression was strangely wistful.

"I thought it fitting, at the time. I had such high hopes for him – it's a shame, really."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Azula set her tea cup down and exhaled softly through her nose. It was the slightest of gestures, but no one on the pavilion missed it. Clearly, the princess had had enough.

"Sun Tzu is a failed experiment, nothing more," she stated. "Why are you so interested?"

And just like that, the tables were turned. Zuko found himself struggling to come up with a suitable response. Admitting that he was in anyway emotionally invested in Jet's well-being would be a mistake; one which his sister would not hesitate to turn to her advantage. And when he stopped to think about it, it occurred to him that he _was_ invested in Jet's well-being, desperately so.

"If someone from the Earth Kingdom is wandering around the palace, I think I have the right to know," he said vaguely. Another thought occurred to Zuko and he spoke out loud without thinking. "Does father even know-?"

"Father doesn't care," said Azula in a sharp voice. "The Fire Lord makes certain allowances to those who have demonstrated their unwavering loyalty, and besides, he _trusts_ me."

Zuko understood the unspoken threat behind her words. If he mentioned anything to the Fire Lord, she could just as easily tell their father that Zuko had been secretly visiting his uncle's prison cell, or worse. Even if the information wasn't much in the way of ammunition, Zuko was still interested to discover that Ozai had not been aware of her activities with Jet either.

"Still," he amended, "isn't it dangerous to have him here? Why would you bring him to the palace?"

Azula rolled her eyes at him. "Give me some credit, Zuzu," she said. "I wouldn't have brought him here if he was. I have my reasons."

"Like _Chan_, for instance!" Ty Lee piped up for the first time, giggling behind her hand.

"You mean Chan from the beach?" Zuko asked incredulously, "What's he got to do with anything?"

But Ty Lee had buttoned up. She had obviously overstepped her bounds by teasing the princess, because the look she was sending the slender circus performer promised murder.

"This has absolutely nothing to do with Chan," Azula told them all with an air of finality. Draining the last bit of tea from her china cup and then dabbing at her lips delicately with a napkin, the princess rose to her feet, and gestured to Ty Lee to do the same.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat with you all day, ladies," Azula looked at her brother while she said this, making it clear that he was included in her address, "but _some_ of us have work to do. Come on, Ty Lee."

If Zuko didn't know better, he probably would have gotten the impression that Azula was running away. Ty Lee vaulted over her chair without even bothering to finish her dessert, waving a cheerful goodbye to the couple before she launched herself after her friend in a blur of cartwheels and flips. Zuko couldn't imagine Azula involved in any serious palace business that involved Ty Lee's assistance, but he had a feeling that the princess had ordered her along just to keep her from gossiping.

Mai looked faintly annoyed. "You certainly know how to clear out a room," she commented once both girls were out of earshot.

Looking at the abandoned tea table, Zuko realized that he had probably just ruined his girlfriend's afternoon. He was still conscious of their last argument, and regretted his outburst immediately.

"Sorry," he said, "I just saw something…"

"Its fine," Mai said quickly. She even smiled a little bit, to let him know it was alright – a significant gesture coming from the usually stoic young woman. "Is something the matter?"

Zuko didn't need to answer. She knew. Without discussion, the two of them moved indoors to one of her sitting rooms, and curled up together on the divan. They had developed certain habits in the time they'd spent together, and this particular room had become their shared space whenever Zuko came to visit.

As they made themselves comfortable, Zuko told her about Jet, giving her an abbreviated version of their encounters before and after he had arrived in the city of Ba Sing Se. He didn't leave anything out, exactly; he trusted Mai enough to talk to her about almost anything, but she didn't have much patience for storytelling, and she didn't usually like it when he dwelled to long on the past. Even though they had been together for months, it was probably the first time that Zuko had ever really talked to her about his life in the Earth Kingdom.

"That's a pretty big coincidence," she told him when he finished, "but that's all it is."

Mai usually spoke decisively, but her tone still came as a surprise to Zuko. "Why do you say that?" he asked her.

And so she explained.

According to Mai, Azula had discovered Jet imprisoned under Lake Laogai. Through the Dai Li, she had learned of Jet's close companionship with the Avatar, his fighting skills, and Long Feng's failed attempt to turn Jet against his friends using hypnosis. Intrigued by the notion of developing human weapons, the princess had ordered the Dai Li to bring Jet, as well as several other test subjects, along with them to the capitol for continued research.

"I didn't really pay attention to the details," Mai told Zuko, with a callousness that made something in his stomach lurch unpleasantly, "but basically all the testing turned out to be a big failure. The subjects would stop following orders as soon as they got really upset or excited.

"Azula said she expected that though, because they weren't 'invested' enough in what they were doing. She talked a lot about 'deconstructing their value systems' and then putting them back together, so they identified themselves as Fire Nation citizens."

"And that's why Jet didn't respond to his own name," Zuko said, following the evidence to its logical conclusion. "He's been given a while new identity."

Mai nodded, "But ultimately, Azula's plan didn't work. Jet would throw himself off a cliff for king and country, but his memories have been so completely wiped out that he's useless as a soldier. He barely remembered how to do up his own buttons by the time the Dai Li were satisfied that he wouldn't snap out of it again. After a few trials, Azula pretty much seemed to lose interest. Theoretically you could retrain them as Fire Nation soldiers and put them on the front lines, but erasing each person's memory takes so much time and effort that it's not really practical to do it on a large scale."

Zuko was still for a long time; thinking about what Mai had told him. He had always known that there was _something _off about the Dai Li. He had witnessed their corruption for himself, but the idea that they could control people… it made him wonder about the trust he had invested in Mai. It made him wonder about himself, and the decisions he had made.

He dismissed that thought almost as soon as it came to him. It would be convenient to blame the Dai Li for his actions over the past few months, but Zuko knew himself too well for that.

"So why is Jet _here_?" Zuko asked, finally.

Mai shrugged. "She got all angry after Chan dumped her and said something about boys being indecisive."

"She and Chan were going out? I thought they only saw each other the one time."

Mai shrugged again. "I don't question these things. I just accept."

As Zuko attempted to digest the absurdity of this new revelation, Mai suddenly leaned in close and placed a kiss on the corner of Zuko's jaw. Her breath tickled against his ear, and he could feel her lips curve with self satisfaction when he sighed.

He knew that he should take this as a signal to end the conversation, but he couldn't help but ask her one last question.

"How come you didn't tell me about any of this sooner?"

"No reason."

"Mai."

Mai's breath exploded into his ear with an exasperated _whoosh_ and she pulled back slightly to look at him.

"Because," she stated frankly, "I didn't want you to worry about it. And I was afraid you might try to do something about it."

Zuko didn't know what to make of that, so he stayed quiet when she kissed him a second time and then moved his mouth down to the hollow of her neck, returning the favour.

Usually when Mai decided that Zuko's mind needed clearing she could make it so without much difficulty, but this time it wasn't happening. Zuko found himself wondering what Jet and Azula did together. His stomach rebelled against the idea, but once the thought had taken root nothing could be done for it. What if, somehow, some part of Jet was conscious of what was happening to him?

"Zuko?" Mai queried softly, drawing him back to reality. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes," he answered. He shifted so that his forehead rested against the curve of Mai's neck and shoulder, and closed his eyes. He hadn't reached the point of crying – Zuko's life was a procession of hopeless situations, and he had learned how to hold himself together out of necessity – but he could feel it all weighing on him; his precarious situation with his father, his uncle's imprisonment, the question of the Avatar's whereabouts. And now _Jet_.

"Is there anything I can do?"

The prince shook his head sadly. "No. I don't think you can."


	3. Chapter 3

**Queen Takes Pawn III:**

Zuko swept down the dark corridor, trying to move as stealthily as possible. It was perfectly within his rights to move through his home whenever he wished, but Zuko knew that he would raise suspicions if he were seen fully dressed in street clothes and boots on in the dead of night. He was nowhere near his wing of the palace, nor anywhere else he might be legitimately occupied at such an hour.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that it was futile - now that Azula had the Dai Li at her disposal, it was virtually impossible to hide anything from her – but the thick roll of parchment he clasped tightly in his right hand demanded that he make every effort to maintain his secrecy. Whoever had delivered it to his chambers had undoubtedly done so at great personal risk, and Zuko couldn't bring himself to dismiss what he could only assume was loyalty to his uncle.

The sound of soft footfalls approaching caused the prince to freeze in his tracks. He didn't see anyone in the dark, and for some reason he couldn't seem to determine whether the noise was coming from in front or behind, but it was clear that whoever it was drawing _closer_. In a pathetic attempt to conceal himself, Zuko crushed his body against the nearest wall and prayed that the darkness would be enough to cover him.

The gentle click of a latch being released alerted Zuko to his mistake, but it was too late to change his hiding place before a narrow section of the wall, inches from where he had attempted to hide, swung outwards, nearly striking him. He had unwittingly flattened himself right next to a concealed door, one of many scattered throughout the palace to allow servants unobtrusive passage throughout the household.

Finding himself trapped in a corner, the prince remained still as weak, flickering candlelight invaded the corridor. Someone, most likely a servant, moved on the other side of the door. There was nowhere to hide, and the door swung closed. He was exposed.

Miraculously, the figure that had emerged from the hidden passage did not turn. Instead, he cut straight across the hallway to fumble with the latch of a second, similarly concealed door on the opposite wall.

With a start, Zuko realized that he was looking at Jet. For a moment he simply stared, stunned by how easily he recognized the mop of chestnut hair – free of its topknot – and the shape of the other boy's jaw from behind, and then Jet vanished from sight, so quickly that the prince might have imagined the whole thing.

Zuko started after him, but hesitated, reminding himself of the real reason that he had ventured out into the palace so late at night. He had been given instructions to go to the Dragonbone catacombs, to discover the Fire Nation's secret history. The parchment in his hands had not been signed, but he was certain that his uncle had been the one to issue the orders. This was an opportunity to break through the wall of silence that the retired general had erected around himself since his arrest in Ba Sing Se. Maybe his last chance.

_But then again_, Zuko found himself rationalizing as he crept towards the spot that Jet had disappeared, _it's not like uncle is going anywhere._

The young noble had never entered the servant's passages. He had considered exploring the area before; first when he was very young, and again when he had first returned to the capital after his banishment. The threat of being discovered had been enough to hold him back. Now Zuko cracked open the hidden door and crept inside, following the retreating light of Jet's candlestick from the shadows.

Behind the door, he found a steep set of stairs. These led him underground, into a warren of dark, cramped passages. The prince was grateful when he saw it. The space worked to his advantage, making it easy to follow his target without having to venture out into the open. It also made him feel slightly nostalgic, and as he stalked after his unwitting target, he could almost imagine that he was a faceless spirit, roaming the night streets of Ba Sing Se. The thought made him bolder.

Following closer than was truly necessary, the prince found himself strangely disappointed that the boy ahead of him did not turn. The old Jet, he found himself thinking, certainly would have sensed that he was being followed, but this one, _Azula's_ Jet, was completely oblivious. His footsteps were heavy and easy to detect from a distance, and he did not once look over his shoulder. The prince could not help but reflect, almost whimsically, on the grace and stealth that Jet had once possessed. It was almost like the other boy _wanted _Zuko to follow him.

He knew it was quite possible that his idle speculation was an accurate one. According to Mai, Jet was under the influence of the Dai Li. He could easily believe that Azula might be using Jet to lure her brother into a trap, or to humiliate him by revealing his location. It was also possible that Jet was acting alone. Perhaps the freedom fighter had never really forgotten the manic hatred that he had once held towards Zuko and this was all part of some sort of scheme to exact his revenge. This awareness did nothing to weaken his resolve, however, and Zuko dismissed these thoughts as the product of paranoia.

Zuko had allowed his target to advance well ahead of him when the light ahead of him was abruptly snuffed out. Suppressing the urge to panic, he rushed up the steep incline where he had last seen the glow of Jet's candle, only to encounter a dead end at the top. After some groping in the dark, however, he realized that he had simply been led to a door.

After fumbling the latch open, Zuko was unsurprised to find himself in more familiar, but much more frightening territory. Jet had led him straight into the heart of Azula's domain; the passage emerged near the entrance to her private rooms.

The scarred boy was unsurprised. He had been vaguely aware of the direction that Jet was moving and his position in relation to the rest of the palace.

"Sun Tzu," he heard his sister's mocking voice clearly as he approached the entrance to her drawing room. The sound of her using the name she had given Jet reeled him in closer to the door of her chambers, even as his stomach twisted with nervousness. "You're a mess. You could at least make an effort to look presentable, you know. I have a reputation to keep."

Zuko almost laughed. She had a reputation, but not of the sort that anyone could ruin.

And then, quite ridiculously, he found himself annoyed at her comment. Jet was not a mess. In fact, he looked good_ because _he was a little rough around the edges. The stiff spit and polish of the Fire Nation aesthetic didn't suit the warrior boy at all.

Jet murmured something that Zuko could not hear. The prince moved closer, automatically, although the implications of the situation were clear in his mind. The mystery of what Jet was doing, lurking about Azula's quarters in the middle of the night had completely evaporated, leaving only a heavy feeling of foreboding in place of the prince's previous curiosity. When he remembered everything that Mai had told him earlier, it seemed so _obvious_ what he was going to find.

He told himself he might be wrong.

A thin beam of light issued through a crack in her door, and the prince found that he could see inside the room. He couldn't see Jet, but Azula was seated directly within his line of sight on a plush red divan. She was preoccupied with - of all things - a thick, leather bound book in her lap. Without looking up, the princess made a humming noise at whatever Jet had told her.

"You know," she said slowly, as if speaking to a very small child, "I never think to ask you how you are. How was your day today, Sun Tzu?"

"I'm fine, I guess," said Jet. He sounded uncertain, but pleased, as if he had not identified the dryness of the young girl's voice. Zuko remembered what Mai had told him regarding extent the Dai Li's influence, and wondered if Jet had even forgotten the subtleties of speech.

"Did you do anything interesting?"

"Nothing really," Jet responded, his voice light. He was clearly unaware of the impending danger, but Zuko had not missed the familiar edge in his sister's voice.

Azula's eyes remained on the volume in her lap, and she 'hmm'ed again, apparently dissatisfied with his response. When she made no move to respond, Jet spoke again, in such a worried, earnest way that Zuko could almost (almost but not quite) imagine the freedom fighter wringing his hands.

"I, I spent the day outside, mostly. I was just kind of waiting around…"

The book snapped shut, and the princess' gaze lifted to fix intently on something above eye level, at something that Zuko couldn't see.

"Is that so? Nothing happened to you at all? Nothing of interest?" she asked.

Zuko didn't hear anything from Jet's side of the room, but his sister's frown deepened, and she sighed heavily.

"Why do you make me do these things?" she asked rhetorically, her voice laden with remorse. "Come here. Give me your hand."

Jet followed her instructions. The front half of his body was now visible through the crack in the door, and Zuko could see that his expression was worried, almost fearful.

Zuko started backing up as slowly and silently as he could, having decided that he had watched enough. The idea of peeping in on his sister and her _boyfriend _– he chafed at very thought of the word – disgusted him.

He needed to go to the Dragonbone catacombs. There was nothing he could do about it anyway.

The air crackled with blue light, and a strangled cry issued from the other room. Zuko stopped in his tracks. That sound, he realized, was _Jet_.

He could see Azula griping Jet's hand tightly, and the once proud freedom fighter was bent over her, face twisted in pain. Azula was using lightning somehow, channeling it up Jet's arm and into his body.

"My brother spoke to you this afternoon, didn't he?" Azula spoke calmly. Jet gasped.

"I didn't think – I mean there was a guy –"

The princess released Jet's hand, apparently satisfied, and the young man crumple to his knees. After a moment she cupped Jet's face in her hands, leaning in close to him to press her painted lips against his forehead.

"You mustn't lie to me, Sun Tzu," she murmured, her voice low and intimate, "you know that. You know how much I _hate_ having to do these things."

Zuko couldn't watch anymore. He felt physically sick, like he was going to throw up. Turning his back on the scene in Azula's room, he bolted down the corridor, frantically trying to think of somewhere he could reach in time where no one would run into him. Somewhere to hide while he was vulnerable. He remembered the passage he had used before too late, and ended up ducking into a vacant conference room. He barely had time to bend over before he retched, emptying the contents of his stomach onto the polished wooden floor much too loudly.

When he was finished he stood. He didn't feel much better, but his uncle's message was heavy in his hands.

After some consideration, he took off his cloak and used it to mop up the puddle of vomit on the ground. He would burn it once he got outside. Although the prince was not terribly concerned that his trespass would be discovered, he knew that if he left a mess behind, someone would have to clean it away, and some poor soul would end up taking the blame for it.

A sullied garment could be replaced quite easily; the livelihood of a discarded servant could not be so readily recovered.

Zuko scrubbed at the spot on the hardwood floor a bit more vigorously than necessary. He was tired of hurting people.


End file.
